Private Funding Opportunities for Faculty

Questions regarding opportunities may be directed to:

Taylor Murphy, Ph.D.,
Associate Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations
tmurphy4@nd.edu
(574) 631-7741

Deadline: Letter of interest deadline January 31, 2012. Letters of interest should include an outline of proposed research (no more than 2 pages) and CVs of project leaders, and should be submitted via email to FQEB@NPTRUST.ORG or by regular mail to: FQEB GRANTS c/o National Philanthropic Trust, 165 Township line Road, Suite 150, Jenkintown, PA 19046

Eligibility: Associated research projects will receive funding of up to $200,000 per year for up to two consecutive years. Work which has significant philosophical implications for evolutionary biology and science more broadly will receive priority. Applicants must have P.I. eligibility at their institution and an excellent track record of scientific productivity, as evidenced by publications.

Funding: $200,000 per year for 2 years.

Funding Field: The purpose of the FQEB project is to generate new kinds of knowledge and understanding in core areas of biology where there have been serious "missing knowledge problems". There are two core themes of this initiative: Evolutionary Origins and Dynamics; Evolovability and the Evolution of Increasing Complexity

Program Link: http://www.templeton.org/node/1521

Postdoctoral awards: Eligible candidates are clinician-scientists and basic scientists with a PhD engaged in translational research that involves some component of human subjects research and has high potential for early translation into impacting patient care. Applications due: Wednesday, Feb. 1. READ MORE

Predoctoral awards: Eligible candidates are second- or third-year predoctoral graduate student at one of the CTSI partner institutions: IU, Purdue or Notre Dame. Applications due: Wednesday, Feb. 1 READ MORE

CHEP RFA: The Indiana CTSI Community Health Engagement Program requests applications to support community-based research projects. Awards will range from $1,000 to $10,000. Applications due: Monday, Jan. 30. READ MORE

Deadline: January 27, 8pm EST. Applicants are invited to prepare and submit a short abstract of their research proposal. HP Labs will review the abstracts received and select a number to participate in the second round.

Eligibility:In the first round applicants are required to submit their proposal abstract together with CVs for the Principal Investigator (PI) and student(s) who will be working on the project. Additional metadata, such as project title, executive summary, the research topic the proposal relates to, and budget information, also will be required when entering the proposal. The abstract and CVs must be written in English and each must be uploaded to the submission system in PDF format.

Abstracts should be no longer than three (3) pages. Additional pages may be used for supporting figures, images or graphics; these will not count against the 3–page limit. Abstracts should include the following information: title of proposal, executive summary (approximately 250 words), description of proposed research (description of the research problem, how it addresses the topic chosen, why it is important, and how you plan to approach it), related work and references (briefly describe related work done yourself or by others in this area, and provide references), budget and resources (describe the resources you will need to accomplish the proposed project. Please provide an approximate budget for your proposal and a brief description. Briefly describe any external funding proposed by the university or a third–party).

Funding: Awards under the IRP are primarily intended to provide financial support for a graduate student to assist the Principal Investigator conducting a collaborative research project with HP Labs. Awards will provide cash support for one year, typically in the range $50,000 to $75,000, including any overhead. Larger or partial awards may be made, and awards may be renewed for up to three years, based on research outcomes and HP business needs.

Funding Field: The 2012 IRP seeks ambitious, innovative proposals that leverage additional external resources to amplify the impact of the research collaboration with HP Labs. Our interest is in collaborations with researchers who have a track record of conducting creative research with external funding. Proposals that offer significant university or other third-party resources to expand the collaboration (for example, through a matching commitment to support additional dedicated graduate students) will receive particular consideration.

HP will evaluate proposals against five primary criteria:

• The innovativeness, ambition, and scientific and societal impact of the research
• How well the proposed research addresses the topic outlined in the Call for Proposals
• The strength of the research plan
• The research record and standing of the principal investigator in relevant fields
• The amount of university or third-party (non-HP) resources to be dedicated to the project

In the areas of cloud and security, information analytics, intelligent infrastructure, mobile and immersive experience, nanoelectronics, printing and content delivery, services research, social computing, and sustainability via information technology management.

Program Link: http://www.hpl.hp.com/open_innovation/irp/HPL-IRP2012.pdf

Deadline: To be considered for funding, pre–proposals must be submitted online (www.nfwf.org/easygrants) by February 15, 2012, prior to midnight.

Eligibility: Eligible applicants include: non-profit 501(c) organizations; state, tribal and local governments; and educational institutions. Individuals, federal agencies, and private for-profit firms are not eligible for grants through the Sustain Our Great Lakes Stewardship Grants Program. To be eligible for consideration, projects must 1) occur within the Great Lakes basin and 2) direct the bulk of grant funding toward on–the–ground habitat restoration. A small percentage (<10%) of a grant award may be applied toward completion of final planning, design and engineering stages. The Stewardship Grants Program does not provide grants for education or community outreach. For the 2012 funding cycle, grant funding will not be provided for land protection (e.g., acquisition and easement), rain barrels, rain gardens, green roofs, or research. Projects that seek funding for political advocacy, lobbying, litigation, fundraising, or legally mandated mitigation projects are not eligible. To qualify for funding through the Stewardship Grants Program, applicants must offer a minimum of $150,001 in matching contributions for most projects (note: a minimum 1:1 non–federal match is required for private landowner technical assistance projects; see description in previous section). The ratio of matching funds offered is one criterion considered during the review process, and projects that meet or exceed a 1:1 match ratio will tend to be more competitive.

Funding: Grant awards will range from $150,001 to $1,500,000. The bulk of that funding will be directed toward implementing on–the–ground habitat restoration. However, some funding will be used to support technical assistance to private landowners for improving wildlife conservation on private lands. Additional details are provided in the Special Considerations section below.
Projects with smaller scales may be better-suited for the Sustain Our Great Lakes Community Grants Program.

Criteria: Funding priority is assigned to improving the quality and connectivity of tributary, wetland and coastal habitats through the following four action categories: Restoration of Aquatic Connectivity, Riparian and In–stream Habitat Restoration, Wetland Restoration, and Near–shore/Shoreline Habitat Restoration. Projects that receive funding typically: Restore or enhance habitats at scales on the order of hundreds of acres or tens of stream miles or larger; apply the bulk (>90%) of grant funding to on-the-ground habitat improvement work and minimize expenses for planning, design and engineering; have completed planning, design and engineering stages to the extent that on–the–ground implementation can begin shortly after the grant is awarded; include pre– and post–implementation monitoring to document habitat improvements and other project outcomes; and provide long–lasting ecological benefits, as demonstrated by provisions for long–term maintenance and management as appropriate.

Program Link: http://www.nfwf.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Charter_Programs_List&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=22338

Deadline: Letter of Intent due February 29th, 2012

Eligibility: Successful applicants will be outstanding investigators who have demonstrated creativity and productivity in their field of research. We encourage applications from investigators in diverse disciplines including, but not limited to, immunology, genetics, molecular, cell and systems biology. Scientists who have not previously worked in lupus are encouraged to apply, as are researchers working outside the U.S. Applicants must hold an established position at an academic institution.

Funding: Up to $250,000 per year for four years.

Criteria The Lupus Research Institute welcomes novel, hypothesis– or discovery–driven proposals in human and/or animal model based lupus research. The research proposal must aim to uncover the fundamental causes of lupus and present a compelling vision of how the discovery would lay the groundwork for a potential cure or prevention, as opposed to suppressive treatments for lupus. Continuations of long–term projects will not be considered.

Program Link: http://www.lupusresearchinstitute.org/research/2012-lri-distinguished-innovator-awards

Deadline: March 15, 2012

Eligibility: Applicants must have completed one or more of the following degrees or its equivalent: MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM. The applicant must include a copy of his/her diploma to confirm date of conferral. (If an applicant has not yet received his/her PhD diploma but has successfully completed all PhD requirements, including PhD defense, he/she may submit a letter from the graduate school explicitly stating such, with the date of the successful PhD defense and date of degree conferral.)

• Level 1 Funding: Basic and physician-scientists must have received their degrees no more than one year prior to the FAC meeting at which their applications are to be considered.* Applicants must not have been in their Sponsors’ labs for more than one year prior to the date of the FAC meeting at which their applications are to be considered* and are expected to devote 100% of their time and effort to Damon Runyon-supported research activities.
• Level 2 Funding: Physician–scientist applicants (MD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM or the equivalent) must have completed their residencies and clinical training, must be board eligible at the start date of the Damon Runyon–Sohn Fellowship, and be able to devote at least 80% of their time and effort to Damon Runyon–Sohn supported research activities. Applicants may apply at any time prior to their initial assistant professorship appointment (or equivalent); postdoctoral fellows, clinical fellows and clinical instructors are eligible to apply. Candidates holding or awarded NIH K awards at the time of application are not eligible to apply.

*The cut–off date is day 15 of the month immediately preceding the month FAC meets. The applicant must include a copy of his/her diploma to confirm date of conferral. (See chart in Deadlines section.)

**For foreign-trained physicians, equivalency will be determined on a case–by–case basis.

• The proposed research must be conducted at a university, hospital or research institution, and no more than two Damon Runyon and/or Damon Runyon–Sohn Fellows will be funded to work with the same Sponsor at any given time. Only one fellowship application will be accepted from a Sponsor or Fellow per review session; there is no limit, however, to the number of applications from an institution. Postdoctoral training in the same institution in which the applicant received his/her degree is discouraged, particularly if it is in the same department. Proposals to continue training in the laboratory where the applicant received his/her PhD will not be considered. Proposals that are direct extensions of graduate work will not be funded. Candidates who have already accepted a postdoctoral research fellowship award are not eligible. Candidates who are pursuing a degree are not eligible. Candidates applying to work in foreign-based or United States government laboratories may be awarded a fellowship if they are considered to be especially meritorious or if the program represents an unusual opportunity for postdoctoral training. Foreign candidates may apply to do their research only in the United States.

Funding: Level 1 Stipend supports $50,000 plus $2,000 expenses per year for 1–3yrs. Level 2 Stipend supports $50,000 plus $2,000 expenses per year for 1–3yrs.

Funding Field: This award provides funding to basic scientists and clinicians who conduct research with the potential to significantly impact the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of one or more pediatric cancers. Candidates must apply for the fellowship under the guidance of a Sponsor—a scientist (tenured, tenure—track or equivalent position) capable of providing mentorship to the Fellow. In addition to aiding in the planning, execution and supervision of the proposed research, the Sponsor’s role is to foster the development of the Fellow’s overall knowledge, technical and analytical skills, and capacity for scientific inquiry. The Sponsor is also expected to assist the Fellow in attaining his/her career goals. The primary criteria used to evaluate applicants are: potential impact of the research on pediatric cancer; the quality of the research proposal (importance of the problem, originality of approach, appropriateness of techniques and clarity of presentation); the qualifications, experience and productivity of both the candidate and the Sponsor; the quality of the research training environment in which the proposed research is to be conducted and its potential for broadening and strengthening the candidate’s ability to conduct innovative and substantive research. The proposed research and training environment should represent a new opportunity for the candidate to expand his/her scientific skill set. Direct extensions of the candidate’s graduate work (in approach, technique or exact area of study) will not be funded.

Program Link: http://www.damonrunyon.org/for_scientists/more/pediatric_fellowship_award_overview

Deadline: Nomination deadline April 1, 2012

Eligibility: This award is presented annually by the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute at the University of Michigan. It is meant to recognize work in the crucial field of translational research being conducted by the clinician-scientist who has done the most to transform laboratory discoveries into clinical applications for patients suffering from disease. International scientists are eligible. U-M scientists are excluded. Self-nomination is permitted.

Funding: $100,000

Criteria: Nominee judged on significant contributions to translating basic research findings into medical practice, and by the manner in which a nominee’s clinical activities connects to his or her laboratory research.

Program Link: http://www.taubmaninstitute.org/programs/2012-taubman-prize/